We seem to be paying for the lovely calm weather we had at the end of last year now, as I am writing wind and rain is whipping around the Scottish Dolphin Centre and waves are crashing against the beach; not really ideal watching conditions! But when the weather does allow don’t forget about our ‘Watch and Win’ competition.
In this newsletter we will be focusing on orcas and the different ways you can see them. The tales of horrors of orca captivity in the film Blackfish have gripped the public’s imagination revealing how captivity makes orcas psychotic. Rob Lott WDC’s Policy manager and orca programme lead also tells us more about the resident orca pod which can be seen from the UK - wild and free as they should be!
Best wishes, Kila Taylor
Issue 15: Winter 2014
Shorewatch NewsShorewatch
In one of the most powerful and thought-provoking documentaries in a generation, Blackfish turns the spotlight on humankind’s selfish desire to confine large, intelligent marine mammals in a captive situation for our viewing pleasure.
The trainers in Blackfish acknowledge that they privately questioned whether the captive whales at SeaWorld were behaving normally and whether working practices recommended by their managers were appropriate and safe.
Just as captive orcas at SeaWorld may be deprived of food if they miss a cue or perform incorrectly during showtime, so the former trainers in Blackfish describe how they feared being ‘deprived’ of working with the orcas if they expressed their concerns over welfare or safety to their managers.
For many, this all changed on February 24th 2010 with the tragic death of experienced trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at SeaWorld Orlando. Dawn was grabbed, pulled into the water and drowned by a male orca called Tilikum. In spite of the risks, Tilikum is hugely important to Sea World’s breeding programme.
Three deaths, two decades, one whale. What have we learned?
Though Tilikum is disturbed, bored, frustrated, aggressive and possibly psychotic, his DNA has been inherited by most of SeaWorld’s captive-born orcas.
It is unlikely Tilikum was born with these problems. He is a son of Iceland. Captured from the wild at three years of age, he was brutally
removed from his pod and consigned to a life in captivity. Blackfish recalls the tragic deaths of three people but there really are four victims to this sorry tale. From the moment Tilikum was removed from the ocean and placed on the back of a truck his life was effectively over.
As people stream out of the Shamu Stadium and plan their next thrill-seeking experience, they
should spare a thought for Tilikum in his holding
tank – alone, bored, listless and a one-dimensional caricature of his wild counterpart. He’s still there after thirty years……. hour after hour, day after day, year after year. The phrase, dying to entertain you, has never rung more true and makes you realise that sometimes in life you just have to shake your head and walk away. By Rob Lott, WDC’s UK policy manager and orca programme lead
WDC will be hosting two free screenings of BlackfishWDC will be showing Blackfish and hosting an open discussion led by Rob Lott WDC’s UK policy manager and orca programme lead. These are free events but booking is essential.• Monday 21st April 7pm - Holiday Inn, Inverness• Tuesday 22nd April 7pm - Scottish Dolphin Centre, Spey BayTo book please phone the Scottish Dolphin Centre on 01343 820 339 - please note that this film has been classifed a 15 so is not suitable for children under 15 years of age.
15th March - Isle of Lewis Shorewatch get together17th March - Isle of Harris Shorewatch get together21st March - Watching out event as part of the Caithness Science Festival, Dunnet Head 1-3pm22nd March - Caithness Science Festival Family Fun Day, 12 - 4.30pm, Wick Assembly Rooms23rd March - North Coast Shorewatch get together, Seadrift-Dunnet Visitor Centre
WDC is delighted to bring a city-wide public art event to Aberdeen in partnership with the ARCHIE Foundation. From the end of June around 50 creative and colourful life-sized dolphins will be leaping of the streets of Aberdeen creating a fun sculpture trail for everyone to enjoy!
Wild in Art is a global, interactive project which creates mass-appeal art to engage the public. The dolphin sculptures are sponsored by local businesses and then a unique design is painted on each one by a range of artists. The project will eventually see a dolphin trail set up around the city this summer with money raised from an end of event auction going to WDC and the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.
WDC’s events and fundraising manager, Stine Bang commented: “The fact that dolphins frequently bring a smile to people’s faces when they see them never ceases to amaze us. These graceful, intelligent and social creatures hold a special place in our hearts yet they face many threats. The Wild Dolphins event will not only raise awareness and vital funds for our work, but will also bring a smile to the faces of local people and tourists alike when they see these big sculptures on the streets of Aberdeen.”
Calling all artists – we are now taking submissions for the dolphin sculpture.
We are looking for local artists to reflect Aberdeen’s rich cultural identity, for more information please visit, wilddolphins.org.uk/artists/. The deadline for submissions is 7th March 2014
A world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free
Sightings of these majestic, apex predators around Scotland and indeed, around the entire British Isles are not as uncommon as you might think. Researchers believe that the British Isles has one truly resident orca pod. Known as the West Coast Community they patrol a huge area to the west of the UK, from the southern Irish Sea, north to the Outer Hebrides and west along the entire length of Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard. This group is comprised of just nine individuals - 5 females and 4 males - and is likely to be a separate population from the seasonal visiting orcas that can be seen around Caithness and the islands of Shetland and Orkney.
Watching for cetaceans can be hugely rewarding but also requires patience – orcas, for example, can travel up to 100km in one day. Anyone fortunate enough to see a pod of orcas in the wild can’t fail to be impressed by the incredible beauty of these iconic animals as they effortlessly break the surface, their dorsal fins rising and falling in poetic synchrony.
Individual orcas are identified by unique markings composed of nicks, scars and scratches on their dorsal fins and on the grey saddle patch just behind the fin.
Amongst the West Coast Community the most distinctive is an adult male known to all as John Coe
Did you know that the UK has a resident orca pod?
and the huge V-shaped notch out of the trailing edge of his dorsal fin makes him unmistakable. John Coe was originally named in the early 1990s by the skipper of a local sailboat who ran wildlife cruises around the western isles and takes his name from a character in a poem. He was an adult when he was first sighted during the 1980s making him at least 40 years old.
Though Scotland is considered the West Coast Community’s domain, John Coe is also sighted most years in late Spring off the coast of Pembrokeshire in Wales and in June last year off of Bardsey Island in North Wales - always travelling north. It is not known what John Coe’s group feeds on but researchers believe it may be exclusively on other cetaceans.
Meanwhile the Shetland and Orkney orcas - mainly summer visitors to the area - coincide their visits with the seal pupping season. They are believed to be a part of a wider North East Atlantic population and the individuals identified feeding on seal pups here are associated with the Icelandic herring-eating groups.
The future for John Coe and our last ‘resident’ pod remains uncertain. Not a single calf has been seen in this group for nearly 20 years making their conservation status critical. The fate of all orcas around Scotland will depend on us developing a clearer understanding of their habitat and environmental needs. There is still much to learn if this small, isolated population is to survive and to ensure John Coe does not become the last King of Scotland. By Rob Lott, WDC’s UK policy manager and orca programme lead
